Benjamin Charkow Associate

An engineer by training, Benjamin Charkow’s diverse intellectual property practice runs the gamut from securing intellectual property rights to enforcing those rights through litigation. He communicates technical details and issues clearly to non-specialists and understands the business dynamics behind clients’ intellectual property.

Mr. Charkow’s patent practice spans numerous technologies including software and business method patents, electromechanical devices, performance apparel, consumer electronics and the chemical and pharmaceutical arts. He conducts patentability searches and works with clients to obtain both utility and design patents. Mr. Charkow serves as general IP counsel to a company in the home apparel business and advises on matters ranging from the prosecution and enforcement of trademarks and copyrights to the negotiation of product licenses.

Mr. Charkow is a charter member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Innovation Hub (RPiHUB). In that role, he provides legal support to budding entrepreneurs working with the Emerging Ventures Ecosystem (EVE) - RPI's distributed business incubation program.

As a member of numerous ARE litigation teams, Mr. Charkow has extensive experience with the preparation of expert reports, taking and defending depositions and motion practice. He took the lead in preparing the summary judgment motion for a client involved in the largest patent multi-district litigation ever, a dispute over interactive call center technology, which resulted in a finding of non-infringement for the firm’s client. Mr. Charkow served on multiple trial teams for significant patent litigations in the diaper industry and was responsible for patents relating to superabsorbent polymer technology.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Charkow worked for three years as an environmental engineer at Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. His primary project involved the design and start-up of new equipment to upgrade New York City’s wastewater treatment plants.